KASF weekend recap

[damont]

Pseudo-Obligatory Name Dump: I saw bunches of people, including but not limited to Ælfred, alina_s, amykb, ballistabob, belfebe, bronx_baroness, Cassandra, carthew, Chagan, Grace (the new Royal Baker) and Sean, harleenquinzell, herveus, isenglass, ladyaelfwynn, ladycaviar, margaretc, martelvonc, Megan, melaniesuzanne, orlacarey, LLT, psalite, sigkit, spikywheel, stitchwhich, thatpotteryguy, tirloch, weebaby, and some who I just can't remember due to the busy-ness of the day and my own spaceyness.

I was moving too slowly on Friday to be completely ready by the time I wanted to be. (This was a direct result of the entire *week* being sucky like that. I should have known that things weren't going to get better.) montuos and I stopped for dinner somewhere around Massaponax (south of Fredericksburg), stopped for gas at the Bowling Green exit, and got to Williamsburg a little after 2300. The alarm got us up much earlier than we really wanted to, but we wanted to leave the 'Burg by a certain time in order to get to KASF by 0930. Late getting out the door, stopped at the new Wawa to get me breakfasty stuff, and on the way out of town I got pulled over for speeding. I didn't even want to be *driving*, dammit. Despite all that, we got to the site before 1000.

First order of business was to find stitchwhich and see if the herald's consult table space was still available: it wasn't. Turns out she'd repurposed it as an Autocrat's Corner, which was *very* much needed so I had no problems with that. I did set up my cell phone there to charge, and kept it on just in case Certain News Of Great Importance might be forthcoming (which it wasn't). At Hrothny's request I cried the merchant area to make sure everyone knew it was time to check in at the gate. Then we assembled for morning court, which consisted of the Laurels being called forward. I can just imagine belfebe saying "Oh good!" as she reached for her camera. But the look on *her* face when her own name was called... that was just priceless. We all wandered over to the vigil tent to get things rolling. Once my name was securely in the queue, I went back inside to watch herveus formally take margaretc as an apprentice. Hung around that reception for a bit afterward and talked to people, then went back outside to visit with belfebe on vigil.

The next few hours after that just all blur together for me. I'm certain that part of that was dehydration; I think I spent a lot of time looking for sources of drinks, and only finding the water fountain. (And the coffeehouse, but I didn't see anything there that I really felt I could drink at the time.) Eventually I went back outside to the vigil tent simply to grab up whatever herb teas might still be available. Anyway, somewhere in the middle of all that I did manage to chat with a few people: alina_s, as she was setting up her display on Tudor-era naval medicine; ladycaviar, whom I hadn't seen in what felt like forever; amykb, with whom I needed to talk about a couple of issues; Mary, who showed me the wire-weaving she'd been working on (nice work, esp. for someone her age); ladyaelfwynn, who brought me over to her daughter's Triathlon entry (nicely done); and probably a number of others but I was so spacey that I likely forgot 5 minutes later.

Just before the performing arts segment was scheduled to start, I was on my way inside from the vigil tent when my back completely spazzed out. I was able to walk upright, but bending in any direction was Just Not Happening. Neither was swiveling (pivoting at my waist). Sitting down and standing back up were *very* painful. Mistress Megan was kind enough to offer me ibuprofen, and sigkit worked on getting the worst knots out of my locked-up muscles. These efforts were mildly successful, such that I was able to sing a bit later on, though I am still having lingering stiffness and soreness even now. Alle Psallite first went up to sing some joint numbers with the Lochmere choir -- "Agnus Dei" by Thomas Morley and "Tant Que Vivray" by Marot and Sermisy. We had considered doing Victoria's "O Magnum Mysterium" (the unofficial National Choral Anthem of Atlantia) but the performances were running late. Alle Psallite them remained on stage, and sang "Chantez a Dieu (Ps. 96)" by Sweelinck and "Lady When I Behold The Roses" by Grillo and Wilbye (part of Wilbye's Italian Madrigals set). We cut out "Verbum Caro Factum Est" (from this past holiday set) and Hassler's "Alleluia" to try and get the overall program back closer to "on time", which was too bad because it meant that our last number was "Lady" and we went horribly flat early on .(We at least got back in tune with each other fairly quickly, but were still flat.)

The judges got done sooner than originally expected, so Her Majesty moved Court earlier by a full hour, much to the relief of a lot of people. There was quite a bit of Court business so I'm only recapping some of it. There were a number of people who got a Silver Nautilus for a particular component of their display; sigkit got one for her calendar stick. melaniesuzanne got an Opal; MsAlanea got a Court Barony; Siegfried Sebastian Faust got a Golden Dolphin; lordmoe got a Silver Osprey; Sophia Kress was escorted into court by her exquisitely-dressed toddler son (it was sooooo cuuuuute!) and got a Pearl (for costuming, natch). And of course there was belfebe's Laurel.

We stayed after Court to help clean up and reload bronx_baroness's vehicle, then headed back to Williamsburg, followed by sigkit who crashed with us for Saturday night. On Sunday, after trying to sleep in (but being partially disturbed by calls from the damn sales desk, *&^%$#@!!!!!!), we introduced sigkit to the Peking-B-Q for brunch. For reasons mostly relating to my having been stupid on Sat. night and Sun. morning, we left the 'Burg about sunset instead of rather earlier. *sigh* We stopped at the Bowling Green exit to gas up the car and for dinner at the Waffle House there, then headed north again and got home around 2330.

I'm not sure if my recap sounds as though I had a worse time than I actually did. There were a lot of good spots; it's simply that a lot has been lost in the confusion.

Comments

[luscious-purple.livejournal.com]

Oh, OK, then! That's great that she's learning such a detailed technique at an early age!

(Sorry to sound snide ... I honestly didn't know if Mary was a young kid or someone with lots of old-age infirmities.)

[dr-zrfq.livejournal.com]

My stupid, to not have said *in the post* that Mary is Olwyn's 5YOD.